Final Matchups Decided

 Round 6 marked the final round of the season ahead of Finals Day being held this Saturday 7th December at North Harbour Hockey Stadium in Auckland.

In Palmerston North, the Men’s Mavericks secured a strong finish after a tough season with 7-5 victory over the Falcons. The game came down to the wire, with the Mavericks edging the win thanks to a goal by Luke Aldred in the 60th minute resulting in an additional successful conversion.

The Women’s Mavericks also claimed a win over the Falcons, completing a franchise double. The Mavericks triumphed 4-3 in a tightly contested match. This result handed the league-leading Falcons their first loss of the season, as they now shift their attention to securing gold in next week's gold medal final this Saturday. Meanwhile, the Mavericks will look to carry their momentum into the bronze medal playoff. 

On Sunday, the fixtures in Christchurch followed the previous day's pattern of tight results. With the final spot in the Women’s gold medal final up for grabs, the game between the Women’s Alpiners and the Tridents didn’t disappoint. A goal midway through the first quarter from Brittney Wang put the Alpiners ahead, and they held the lead for 22 minutes before Pippa Norman of the Tridents leveled the score in the 34th minute. A shootout took place to separate the sides, with the Tridents winning 4-3 to secure their place in the gold medal final next week, where they’ll face the Falcons. 

In the men’s game, the Alpiners triumphed 3-1 over the Tridents in a tightly fought match. A 59th-minute goal and conversion from George Baker gave the South Island side all 4 points. Sam Lane of the Alpiners also got on the scoresheet early, increasing his goal tally to 11 for the season and maintaining his status as the competition's top goal scorer.